State PCS

• 07 Oct 2023

Rohan of Uttar Pradesh got Silver Medal in Judo

Why In News?

Rohan Bishnoi of Uttar Pradesh won the silver medal in the Senior National Judo Championship held in Jaipur on 5 October 2023.

Key Points:

• He had to settle for a silver medal after losing to Dhyan Singh of All India Police Services Control Board in the final of the 100 kg weight category.
• Earlier, Rohan had entered the finals by defeating Atanya Debbarma of Tripura, Sudhir Chauhan of Chhattisgarh, Raviraj Rajput of Gujarat and Vikas of Services Sports Control Board.
• Rohan Bishnoi is a resident of Moradabad.

450 Automatic Weather Stations will be Built in Uttar Pradesh

Why In News?

According to the information received from the media on October 5, 2023, the Relief Department has issued a work order to install 450 automatic weather stations and 2000 automatic rain gauges in the state.

Key Points:

• From the next monsoon season in the state, accurate weather information will be available at tehsil and block level. The exact measurement of rainfall in villages will also be revealed.
• Many times, heavy rains and storms cause damage in rural and urban areas. In case of excessive rainfall, it is difficult to take people to safe places on time. To solve such problems, the relief department is deploying 450 AWS and 2000 ARGs.
• 80 employees will also be deployed for this. The department has released a budget of Rs 142.16 crore. After installation of this plant, accurate information about weather and rainfall will be available in every area and this will help in preventing losses caused by disasters.
• Doppler weather radars will be installed by the relief department in Lucknow, Aligarh, Jhansi and Azamgarh. This radar will measure the intensity of rain, wind speed and will also tell the direction of the tornado. Rs 26.12 crore has been sanctioned for installing radar in these four districts.

Muzaffarpur Ranks top in Agriculture in the Country

Why In News?

On October 5, 2023, NITI Aayog released the delta ranking of 112 aspirational districts of the country. In this, Muzaffarpur district of Bihar ranks top in the country in the field of agriculture.

Key Points:

• Continuous improvement in the field of agriculture has taken Muzaffarpur to the first ranking among the aspirational districts.
• This time Muzaffarpur district has got sixth position in the overall ranking in the country. It ranks 100th in education and 26th in health. The district has been continuously slipping in education and this time it has had its worst performance in two years.
• Under the aspirational districts, work is being done in Muzaffarpur especially on education, health, agriculture, financial and skill development, and basic infrastructure. There were continuous achievements in the field of education in the district.
• From December 2020 to 2021, the district remained in the top positions from 1 to 10. After this it reached the 20th and 64th number.
• This time not only has the ranking slipped to 100th but the scoring has also decreased. This time the score has gone down by one percent compared to last time.

Prime Minister Laid the Foundation Stone of Several Projects worth about Rs 5000 crore in Jodhpur

Why In News?

On October 5, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of several projects worth about Rs 5000 crore in sectors like roads, rail, aviation, health and higher education in Jodhpur, Rajasthan and dedicated them to the nation.

Key Points:

• These projects include a 350-bed 'Trauma Center and Critical Care Hospital Block' at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur and seven Critical Care Blocks to be developed under the Prime Minister-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) across Rajasthan. .
• An integrated center for 'Trauma, Emergency and Critical Care' will be developed at AIIMS Jodhpur at a cost of more than Rs 350 crore. It will include various facilities like triage, diagnostics, daycare wards, private rooms, modular operating theaters, ICU and dialysis rooms.
• It will bring a holistic approach in the management of trauma and emergency cases by providing multidisciplinary and comprehensive care to the patients.
• The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for the development of a state-of-the-art new terminal building at Jodhpur Airport. The new terminal building, to be built at a total cost of Rs 480 crore, will be developed over an area of approximately 24,000 square meters and will be equipped to serve 2,500 passengers during peak hours.
• It will cater to 35 lakh passengers annually as well as improve connectivity and will boost tourism in the region.
• The Prime Minister dedicated the IIT Jodhpur campus to the nation. This state-of-the-art campus, built at a cost of over Rs 1135 crore, is a step towards providing high quality holistic education and creating infrastructure to support cutting-edge research and innovation initiatives.
• To upgrade the infrastructure at the Central University of Rajasthan, the Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the 'Central Equipment Laboratory', Staff Quarters and 'Yoga and Sports Science Building'.
• He laid the foundation stone of the Central Library, hostel with capacity of 600 students and dining hall facility for students in the Central University of Rajasthan.
• In a move to improve road infrastructure in Rajasthan, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for several road development projects including four-laning of Karwar to Dangiyawas section of Jodhpur Ring Road on NH-125A; Construction of seven bypasses of major urban parts of Balotra to Sanderao section via Jalore (NH-325); Laid the foundation stone of various projects including the project of four-laning of Pachpadra-Bagundi section of NH-25.
• These road projects will be built at a cumulative cost of approximately Rs 1475 crore. Jodhpur Ring Road will help in reducing traffic pressure and vehicle pollution in the city.
• All these projects will improve connectivity and boost trade in the region as well as create employment and help in economic growth.
• On this occasion, the Prime Minister flagged off two new train services in Rajasthan. These include a new train - Runicha Express connecting Jaisalmer to Delhi and a new heritage train connecting Marwar Junction to Kokhambli Ghat.
• Runicha Express will pass through Jodhpur, Degana, Kuchaman City, Phulera, Ringas, Shrimadhopur, Neem Ka Thana, Narnaul, Ateli, Rewari, improving connectivity of all cities with the national capital.
• The new heritage train connecting Marwar Jn-Khambli Ghat will boost tourism and generate employment in the region.

Prime Minister laid the Foundation Stone of Development Projects worth more than Rs 12,600 crore in Jabalpur

Why In News?

On October 5, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of development projects worth more than Rs 12,600 crore in sectors like roads, rail, gas pipelines, housing and clean drinking water in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh and dedicated them to the nation.

Key Points:

• The Prime Minister performed the Bhoomi Pujan of 'Veerangana Rani Durgavati Memorial and Garden' in Jabalpur in line with the 500th birth centenary celebrations of Rani Durgavati.
• 'Veerangana Rani Durgavati Memorial and Garden', to be built in Jabalpur at a cost of about Rs 100 crore, will be spread over an area of about 21 acres. A 52 feet high bronze statue of Rani Durgavati will be displayed in it.
• This complex will have a magnificent museum showcasing the history of the Gondwana region including the bravery and courage of Rani Durgavati. It will also throw light on the food, art, culture, lifestyle etc. of the Gond people and other tribal communities.
• The premises of ‘Veerangana Rani Durgavati Memorial and Garden’ will have several parks and gardens including a garden for medicinal plants, a cactus garden and a rock garden.
• It is noteworthy that Rani Durgavati was the ruler of Gondwana in the middle of the 16th century. He is remembered as a brave, fearless and courageous warrior who fought for independence against the Mughals.
• More than 1000 beneficiary families will benefit from the Light House Project in Indore, constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 128 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban. But this project to build quality houses has used innovative technology, ‘Prefabricated Sandwich Panel System with Pre-Technology based Steel Structure System’. With this innovative technology, houses are constructed with all the basic amenities in a very short time.
• To provide safe and adequate tap water to every family, the foundation stone of several Jal Jeevan Mission projects costing more than Rs 2350 crore was laid in Mandla, Jabalpur and Dindori districts. The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Jal Jeevan Mission project worth more than Rs 100 crore in Seoni district. About 1575 villages of Madhya Pradesh will benefit from these projects in four districts of the state.
• The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and inaugurated various projects worth more than Rs 4800 crore to improve road infrastructure in Madhya Pradesh.
• The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of various road projects, including – upgradation of Jharkheda-Berasia-Dhol Khaidi road connecting NH 346; Upgradation of Balaghat-Gondia section of NH 543 to four laning; Four-laning of Khandwa bypass connecting Rudhi and Deshgaon; Four-laning of Temagaon to Chicholi section of NH 47; Making the road connecting Boregaon to Shahpur four lane and the road connecting Shahpur to Muktai Nagar four lane. The Prime Minister inaugurated the upgradation of NH 347C road connecting Khalghat to Sarwardevla.
• The Prime Minister dedicated railway projects worth more than Rs 1850 crore to the nation. These include doubling of railway lines connecting Katni-Vijaysota (102 km) and Marwasgram-Singrauli (78.50 km). Both these projects are part of the project of doubling the railway line connecting Katni-Singrauli section. These projects will improve the rail infrastructure of Madhya Pradesh, which will benefit trade and tourism in the state.
• The Prime Minister inaugurated the Vijaipur-Auraiya-Phulpur Pipeline Project. The 352 km long pipeline has been constructed at a cost of more than Rs 1750 crore. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of the Nagpur-Jabalpur section (317 km) of the Mumbai-Nagpur-Jharsuguda Pipeline Project. This project will be completed at a cost of more than Rs 1100 crore.
• Gas pipeline projects will provide clean and affordable natural gas to industries and households and will also help in reducing emissions into the environment. The Prime Minister also inaugurated a new bottling plant in Jabalpur, which has been constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 147 crore.

Asian Games 2023: Last Panghal Wins Bronze Medal in Wrestling

Why In News?

In the Asian Games-2023 being held in Hangzhou, China on October 5, 2023, the female wrestler from Hisar district of Haryana has won the bronze medal in the 53 kg weight category of the final Panghal.

Key Points:

• Panghal defeated Tokyo 2020 Olympics bronze medalist Bolortuya Bat-Ochir of Mongolia 3-1 to win her first medal at the Asian Games and India's second wrestling medal in Hangzhou.
• Panghal is the first female wrestler to win a medal at the Asian Games 2023.
• Female wrestler Final Panghal had also won a bronze medal in the World Championship before the Asian Games.
• Reigning U-20 world champion Antal Panghal started with a medal in his Asian Games debut. With this he won the first wrestling medal of the day for India and the first medal in the freestyle events in Hangzhou.
• The 19-year-old Indian wrestler had to face defeat from Japan's Akari Fujinami in the quarterfinals of the 19th Asian Games. However, Panghal ultimately secured a bye in the repechage round and made it to the bronze medal match.
• It is noteworthy that Panghal had also won the bronze medal in the World Wrestling Championship in Serbia last month.
• Achievements of last Panghal-
  • Gold medal in Under-20 Asian Championship in 2022
  • Silver medal in Under-23 Asian Championship in 2022
  • Gold medal in Under-20 Junior Women National Championship in 2022
  • Bronze medal in Sub Junior National Championship in 2021

Chief Minister Panchayat Promotion Scheme Launched in Jharkhand

Why In News?

On October 5, 2023, The Mukhyamantri Panchayat Incentive Scheme has been approved in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

Key Points:

• Under the Chief Minister Panchayat Promotion Scheme for the Panchayats of Jharkhand, excellent clean and healthy Panchayats and Gram Sabhas will be rewarded.
• Panchayats will get Rs 4 lakh to Rs 20 lakh in prize money. At the same time, 32 other proposals were approved in the meeting, in which 10 hand pumps each will be installed in 4351-gram panchayats of the state to solve the problem of drinking water.
• Under the Chief Minister Panchayat Incentive Award Scheme, awards will be given in three categories.
• Under the Excellent Panchayat Award and Clean and Healthy Panchayat Gram Yojana, one Panchayat each from all the districts will be selected, who will get Rs 10 lakh each.
• At the same time, each Block Panchayat in five divisions will get Rs 15 lakh each, while two Zilla Parishads will also be selected, which will get Rs 20 lakh each.
• Apart from this, 48 Gram Sabhas will be selected under the Gram Sabha Incentive Scheme, who will be given Rs 4 lakh each.

Transport Minister Inaugurated the State's First Registered Vehicle Scrapping Centre

Why In News?

On October 5, 2023, Chhattisgarh Transport Minister Mohammad Akbar inaugurated the state's first registered vehicle scrapping center in village Dhaneli under Raipur district.

Key Points:

• It is worth noting that it has been decided to compulsorily scrap all vehicles older than 15 years from the government department.
• During this, the transport minister said that the state government is working towards establishing Chhattisgarh as a vehicle scrapping hub for Central India, this center has been completely digitized to promote scrapping facilities.
• Under the Chhattisgarh Industrial Policy 2019-24, notification has been issued to keep the Registered Vehicle Scrapping Center (RVSF) in the category of high priority industries. RVSFs being set up in the state can also avail the benefits of relaxations prescribed for high priority industries.
• The state's first registered vehicle scrapping center will be operated by Metal Corporation of India.
• After getting the vehicle scrapped from a registered scrapping centre, the benefit of 25 percent tax exemption will be given for purchasing a new vehicle. For exemption, an online certificate will be issued by the registered scraping center, which will be called Certificate of Deposit.
• The Certificate of Deposit will be issued online, which will be displayed in the vehicle software of the Transport Department and will be valid in all the automobile dealerships across Chhattisgarh.
• Apart from this, those vehicles which pay monthly or quarterly tax and have outstanding tax and want to get scrapped will also be given exemption in the tax, penalty and interest of the last one year outstanding on the vehicle.
• Scrapping Process: When a vehicle reaches the scrap center, it is destroyed scientifically. Talking about the different stages, tires and engine kits are removed at the station. In the next step the batteries and free-on gas kits are destroyed. The vehicle's seats, steering, engine and radiator are then removed, leaving a hollow metal structure. Bale press machines are used to convert the metal into blocks, which are then supplied to various companies. Other components of the car are recycled and sold to private companies.

Bee and Silkworm Farmers will get Interest Free Loan

Why In News?

On October 5, 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture Department of Chhattisgarh issued an order to provide an interest free loan facility to beekeeping and silkworm farming in the state in compliance with the announcement of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

Key Points:

• Under the order issued by the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Agricultural Welfare and Department of Biotechnology, institutional short-term and medium-term agricultural loans will be provided to bee and silkworm farmers in Chhattisgarh based on 'Interest Subsidy on Cooperative Loans to Farmers of the State Rules 2021'.
• It is noteworthy that under the centrally promoted Integrated Horticulture Mission, the unit cost of one unit of beekeeping has been fixed at Rs 2.31 lakh, in which 40 percent subsidy is given to the beneficiaries.
• In case of 100% fulfillment of the targets of beekeeping under the Integrated Horticulture Mission in the financial year, short-term agricultural loans will be given by banks and financial institutions to the pending applications as per the prescribed loan scale.
• The interest on cooperative loans to farmers of the state on the loans received by beekeepers through banks and other financial institutions will be borne by the Cooperative and Finance Department under the Subsidy Rules 2021. The maximum limit on the interest subsidy payable will be the same as in the main scheme.
• Similarly, silkworm farmers will get interest subsidies on institutional medium agricultural loans and subsidy on electricity charges like the farmers of the state.
• In the order issued, it has been clarified that under the Silk Samagra-2 scheme run by the Government of India, a total of 90 percent grant, including central share and state share, will be given to small and marginal category farmers rearing silkworms and 70 percent grant to other farmers.
• Loan approval will be given on the basis of a loan scale of Rs 5 lakh per acre for rearing silkworms on mulberry plants.
• In addition to the prescribed loan scale, the farmer category wise beneficiary share of the grant payable in Silk Samagra-2 will be approved as medium-term agricultural loan through banks and other financial institutions in the form of institutional loan at zero percent interest like agricultural crops.
• In case of 100% fulfillment of the targets given to the state under Silk Samagra-2 Scheme in the financial year, the pending applications will be provided medium term agricultural loan facility by the banks and financial institutions as per the prescribed loan scale and the loan received will be financed for 03 years. Nutrition will be borne by the Cooperative and Finance Department under the Interest Subsidy Rules 2021 on cooperative loans to the farmers of the state.
• All banks and financial institutions will sanction loans to farmers as per the norms set by the Government of India under the Silk Samagra-2 Scheme. The maximum limit on the interest subsidy payable will be equivalent to the main scheme.

MoU Signed Between Samagra Shiksha Uttarakhand and Swiss Education Group, Switzerland

Why In News?

On October 5, 2023, an MoU was signed between Samagra Shiksha Uttarakhand and Swiss Education Group, Switzerland at the Secretariat in the presence of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Key Points:

• State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha Banshidhar Tiwari and Swiss Education Group Executive Director Hiraj Artinian signed the MoU to provide training in the field of tourism and hospitality to students of classes 9 to 12 in Uttarakhand.
• Swiss Education Group will also assist in improving the vocational education curriculum for students in the state.
• School children will be trained by faculty from the Swiss Education Group. In Switzerland too, the school children of the state will be given one month training in these areas by the Swiss Education Group.
• This agreement will prove to be a milestone in the coming times for better training in the field of tourism and hospitality under vocational education for children from class 9th to 12th in the state.
• It is known that there is a lot of employment potential in both these sectors in the state. After gaining proficiency in these areas through training, students will get many employment opportunities. That is why the state government is continuously making efforts to promote tourism.
• Many works are being done to promote religious, spiritual and adventure tourism as well as eco-tourism and wellness. The state is also receiving many proposals in the field of hospitality. There are many possibilities in this sector in the state in the coming times.